Sweet Potato Salad

This salad is topped with hearty sweet potatoes--a superfood that is high in beta-carotene, potassium, and manganese. Pumpkin seeds add extra crunch!

Total Time: 1 hour 15 min.
Prep Time: 15 min.
Cooking Time: 30 min.
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1½ tsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
½ tsp. raw honey (or pure maple syrup)
1 dash Himalayan salt (or sea salt)
1 tsp. chopped fresh herbs (like basil, oregano or parsley) (to taste; optional)
1 medium baked sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium green apple, diced
½ medium red bell pepper, diced
1 stalk green onion, finely sliced
2 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro
4 cups fresh arugula
2 Tbsp. pumpkin seed kernels, toasted (or chopped raw walnuts)

Preparation:
1. Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and herbs (if desired) in a medium bowl; whisk to blend.
Set aside.
2. Combine sweet potato, apple, bell pepper, onion, and cilantro in a large bowl; mix well.
3. Drizzle dressing over sweet potato mixture; toss gently to blend.
4. Place even amounts of arugula on two serving plates; top each with sweet potato mixture and sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.

Tip: Bake fork-pierced sweet potato at 450° F for 30 to 40 minutes or until just tender. Do not over bake; cool.

Nutritional Information (per serving):

Calories: 236

Fat: 11 g

Saturated Fat: 2 g

Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sodium: 194 mg

Carbohydrate: 32 g

Fiber: 6 g

Sugar: 16 g

Protein: 5 g

Clean Eating Gluten Free Quinoa Recipe – Stuffing

Clean Eating Gluten Free Quinoa Recipe – Stuffing 

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups prepared quinoa (preferably cooked in gluten-free chicken stock)
• 1-1/2 cups onion, diced
• 1 cup celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, diced
• 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
• 1 cup dried cranberries, diced (no sugar added)
• 1/2 cup chopped toasted almonds
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Coat a large frying pan with olive oil and begin heating over medium heat. Add onion and celery to the pan and saute until soft and translucent, about 10 minutes, or less if you prefer a little crunch.
2. Add garlic, rosemary, thyme and sage (along with a pinch of salt) to the pan with the onions and celery and continue cooking, stirring often, another 3 minutes.
3. Add the cooked quinoa and mix well.  Remove from heat and place in serving bowl.
4. Stir in dried cranberries, nuts, apple cider vinegar, and parsley to the quinoa and stir well. Salt and pepper to taste.

NOTES:

• If making ahead, reheat in a sauté pan until warmed–I left it longer to make it a little crunchy which was delicious.  Leftovers make a great breakfast!
• Diced roasted sweet potatoes make a great addition!
• You can also stir in a few tablespoons of clean eating gravy if you have some on hand!